ArticleInfectious diseases of poverty2024
Molecular characterization of an outbreak-involved Bacillus anthracis strain confirms the spillover of anthrax from West Africa.
Article in Infectious diseases of poverty, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based anthrax prevalence in Africa with a one health narrative synthesis of outbreak surveillance.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Recent Anthrax Outbreak and Zoonotic Transmission in Northern Bangladesh.Veterinary medicine and science · 2026Article
- Infectious medical waste (IMW) and disease transmission: A critical public health challenge in Africa and the global implications - A systematic review.Journal of public health research · 2026Article
- Anthrax in Humans, Animals, and the Environment and the One Health Strategies for Anthrax Control.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
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17 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAnthrax, a zoonotic disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis, remains a major global public health concern, especially in countries with limited resources. Sierra Leone, a West African country historically plagued by anthrax, has almost been out of report on this disease in recent decades. In this study, we described a large-scale anthrax outbreak affecting both animals and humans and attempted to characterize the pathogen using molecular techniques.
methodsThe causative agent of the animal outbreak in Port Loko District, Sierra Leone, between March and May 2022 was identified using the nanopore sequencing technique. A nationwide active surveillance was implemented from May 2022 to June 2023 to monitor the occurrence of anthrax-specific symptoms in humans. Suspected cases were subsequently verified using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Full-genome sequencing was accomplished by combining long-read and short-read sequencing methods. Subsequent phylogenetic analysis was performed based on the full-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms.
resultsThe outbreak in Port Loko District, Sierra Leone, led to the death of 233 animals between March 26th and May 16th, 2022. We ruled out the initial suspicion of Anaplasma species and successfully identified B. anthracis as the causative agent of the outbreak. As a result of the government's prompt response, out of the 49 suspected human cases identified during the one-year active surveillance, only 6 human cases tested positive, all within the first month after the official declaration of the outbreak. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the BaSL2022 isolate responsible for the outbreak was positioned in the A.Br.153 clade within the TransEuroAsian group of B. anthracis.
conclusionsWe successfully identified a large-scale anthrax outbreak in Sierra Leone. The causative isolate of B. anthracis, BaSL2022, phylogenetically bridged other lineages in A.Br.153 clade and neighboring genetic groups, A.Br.144 and A.Br.148, eventually confirming the spillover of anthrax from West Africa. Given the wide dissemination of B. anthracis spores, it is highly advisable to effectively monitor the potential reoccurrence of anthrax outbreaks and to launch campaigns to improve public awareness regarding anthrax in Sierra Leone.
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